I have some harsh things to say today, so if you aren’t in the mood, just come back tomorrow. You know me- I can’t stay cranky for very long. J

My niece sent me a link to a story out of the UK. It’s from the Daily Express and you can link to read all of it later. The gist of the story is that the government is going to monitor 20,000 “problem” families with 24-hour surveillance:

“They will be monitored to ensure that children attend school, go to bed on time and eat proper meals. Private security guards will also be sent round to carry out home checks, while parents will be given help to combat drug and alcohol addiction.”

If you continue reading and you link to a couple of other sites and pay attention to the comments you may come to the conclusion, as I did, that the report contains a few errors. Some of the families will be monitored at home, some in public housing- residential blocks called “sin bins”. Some will have cameras and others will simply get home visits. It’s a complicated plan with several components.

I only have a few of things to say about this. First, just because someone knows how to breed, does not make them a parent in any sense of the word. I understand why authorities at every level are desperate to crack down on drug and alcohol abuse and to improve the lives of our children. Children do NOT get to pick their parents, and even though they may love them, they also do not necessarily need to be raised by them. I am not one of those “biology at any cost” proponents. Some children are better off if separated from their biological parents. However, I’m not sure the government is going in the right direction with this solution. I can see at least a dozen problems with this plan, and I’m sure you have your own opinion. I’m going to leave this one alone.

However, what did catch my eye and is really my focus this morning is a minor statement in the article:

“Mr. Balls (Children’s Secretary) also said responsible parents who make sure their children behave in school will get new rights to complain about those who allow their children to disrupt lessons.”

According to two articles I read all parents in the UK will be required to sign Home School Agreements and promise to make their children behave in school. HSAs have routinely been used in the UK, but for the first time parents MUST sign them, and they will be LEGALLY binding. The HSA “will set out rules on behavior, attendance, school uniform and homework. Parents will have a duty to ensure children meet the tough code.”Parents breaking the contract “can be served with civil ‘parenting orders’ by magistrates' courts, forcing mothers and fathers to attend parenting courses or counseling sessions and ensuring children are at home at night or kept clear of bad influences. Orders are backed by fines of up to £1,000.” There is also a legal “tattling” clause for other parents- "If other parents feel that the HSA is not being enforced against other parents they will be able to tell the local education authority."Mr. Balls added: "Heads (teachers) will be able to say to the recalcitrant parents, if you do not sign this or make sure they do the homework, or support discipline, then we will take that as evidence in the magistrates' court."

Oh my! Where do I start? Are they CRAZY????

As a parent, let me just start with the obvious. Any parent who promises their child will behave in school is either delusional or lying. I’ve used parent contracts before. Most explain the rules and ask parent to verify that they have read the school handbook, the classroom rules, and the teacher’s homework policy so you don’t get “well, I didn’t know…” excuses when things go wrong. Most ask the parent to monitor things that are under their control- homework, bedtime, attendance. However, even that last one isn’t always possible. Parents don’t get to control how often their child is truly ill. Never, have I asked a parent to promise that their child would behave in my classroom! That is a promise I want from the child.

I’ve had some very unruly children in the past ten years. Some of them had parents who contributed to the problems. Some had parents who simply ignored the problems. Some had parents who worked with me each and every day and were as baffled by their child’s behavior as anyone else!! When will we understand that children are PEOPLE. They are individuals, not clones of their parents, not simply products of their upbringing. They are complicated bundles of genes, personality, environment, and attitude, among other things. Yes, I want parents to work with me. Yes, I want them to encourage their child to behave. Yes, I want them to do everything they can to create a good environment for their child. But do I hold them responsible for everything their child does?? Heavens, no.

And who PAYS for this?? No doubt there will be lots of paperwork. There will be administration. There will be legal fees. There will be time lost from work. Ultimately the cost will be taken out of money, time, and energy that should be directly spent on the students! That is what always happens with these government intervention programs. I’m not sure of the situation in the UK, but here money that is spent on implementing the new idea of someone who probably hasn’t been in a classroom since his own school days could go to the classrooms where teachers are buying their own paper and glue!!

Okay, let’s talk just a bit about the tattling clause. I understand how parents feel if little Johnnie goes home and reports that teacher spends most of her classroom time making Bully Bob behave. However, I don’t think I want my parents taking legal action against each other! I don’t want to go to court to testify. (Been there, done that by the way, when a very, very serious situation presented itself and I reported one of my parents to the Sheriff.) I don’t want one of my parents to decide that she is the neighborhood “bedtime monitor” or “homework monitor”, or whatever! If the government is really concerned about parents who are abusing drugs and alcohol then they should realize that parents could actually hurt or kill each other over this type of spying. And where do we draw the line? --“I saw Bob’s dad drinking a beer.” “Bob’s bedroom light was still on at 10pm.” “Bob’s mom curses.”

And last, but not least, I do NOT want to waste my time monitoring twenty sets of parents! I have my hands full teaching their children! I do not want to keep a checklist of who does what and then turn it in to the authorities! Yes, I speak to my parents if their child falls asleep in my class. Yes, I talk to them about anything that concerns them. But our relationship needs to be a partnership. I think a legally binding contract simply sets us up to be adversaries.

My soapbox isn’t tall enough to solve this problem. But I will certainly keep my eyes open for more developments in the UK.

I sure hope this idea doesn’t appeal to anyone on this side of the ocean!

Yesterday we had a totally unexpected storm with high winds (50-70mph), lightening, and lots of rain. The weatherman failed to predict it and has since gotten a lot of criticism. I was totally surprised when I headed home from school yesterday afternoon and saw lightening strikes all over the horizon. I got soaked walking from the truck to the house. Then part of the living room got soaked because the wind blew the rain in through the air conditioner and under the edge of the front door and around the front window. Lots of mopping and the air conditioner now refuses to work.

Last night I had an unexpected bout with intense leg pain (RLS). I have had only mild pain since returning from vacation, so last night was a little discouraging.

This morning I had a quite unexpected nosebleed. I haven’t had one in years, and this one lasted over thirty minutes. I had planned to go to physical therapy with Gary and then on to shopping, but he had to go without me. I finally met him in town a little over an hour later.

We shopped at Sam’s where I bought interlocking foam floor tiles for my classroom. I’ll use them in our “circle” area where we have our morning meeting. Then we went to lunch. About half an hour later Gary unexpectedly got sick and we had to hurry home. By the time we got home I was also sick. Something we ate I guess.

Anyway, those are my excuses for not blogging this morning. Now I’m doing something unexpected: I’m blogging at night AND I’m using something that would ordinarily be on my Caddo blog. I ran across this little item in the Caddo Herald, October 22, 1937 and found it both sad and amusing. I know times were tough. I know the people behind this idea must have had the best of intentions. However, as I pictured these poor little children being bused to Durant to receive their “uniform of poverty” I couldn’t help but think about the protests such an action would provoke today.

Bryan County Gets First Free Clothes for School Children

Bryan was the first county to get free clothing for its school children this week from the State Welfare Board. About 100 Caddo children got their clothing, a nice corduroy suit each, on Monday. All are red brown in color and well made. Other children have been going all week to Durant, being taken in school buses at expense of the districts.It is estimated that 30 to 40 per cent of the children in this county will be supplied. Shoes, now being made at the Granite prison, will be ready in a month for distribution. The suits are made at McAlester prison.

Couldn’t they have at least made the effort to make the clothing in different colors?? Poor kids.

I promise not to bore you every day with my classroom work. However, I am just so proud to “see daylight” as my father likes to say! I have made enough progress on my room to feel positive that I will be ready by next week. Always good. When I’m finished I will post the “after” photos on my kindergarten blog. (Note: the last two photos here are the "before"- I always forget to load them in reverse order!)

I don't often post twice in one day. However, this strange cat has me baffled!

He came to our house about four months ago. He was skinny and whiny and very ugly, so that's what we called him, "Ugly".

After a couple of months he filled out and we started calling him "Buddy". Well, he looks better, but his behavior is driving me crazy!

First of all, he scratches! I fed him Monday morning and as I turned away he grabbed for my hand and left two bleeding holes in it. He has scratched Gary several times. He often grabs for my purse or anything else I'm carrying. He went ballistic last week when I had a hammer!

He whines!! He can finish a can of cat food and a half cup of dry food and spend the next ten minutes at the window just making noise! He whines at the sliding glass door when I'm cooking. He whines when he sees Babe. He whines at our bedroom window and once he took the screen off of it!

He follows me! He walks right beside me anytime I'm outside. Follows me to the truck. Follows me around the garden. Even tried to get next to me when I was pushing the mower! Drives me crazy because I'm afraid he will trip me!

Now, the strangest thing I have ever seen a cat do- he sleeps with my shoe!!! At first I thought the wind had just blown it over to the edge of the porch. No! He goes over to where I leave my "porch shoes" and gets one, and sleeps with it. I finally had to take a couple of pictures.

I don't know what I'm going to do with this guy. He is just too strange.

Yes, here it is- the last week of my summer vacation! Yesterday I went to the doctor, worked in my classroom for about three hours, collapsed on the couch for an hour, checked my email, and mowed the lawn. Didn’t seem like a vacation!

My doctor’s appointment was better than expected. My new medication level seems to be controlling my blood pressure. All my other numbers are good, except my weight of course. Back today for my bone scan. Haven’t had one in a few years.

I’m going to work in my classroom this morning. I don’t think most people realize how much work goes into setting up a classroom each year. Most rooms have to be somewhat “stripped” at the end of each year so walls can be repaired or painted, floors waxed, carpets shampooed, etc. That means that yesterday I was moving furniture and pulling boxes of supplies out of my closet. Today I will be moving more supplies, restoring bulletin boards, setting up centers, and making a shopping list. Tomorrow will be supply shopping and doing even more organizing. Thursday I’ll take care of a hundred details. Friday I am going to stay home!!! Next week we have workshops, meetings, and SCHOOL. Pray that I get a great class!

I’m going to the doctor this morning. I feel like I’m facing a high school math test that I’ve already failed! I know I’m going to get a lecture about my weight, my lack of exercise, my high blood pressure, and probably my attitude!

It’s not enough that I have a great immune system and I’m rarely sick. It’s not enough that I’ve overcome half a dozen accidents, six broken bones, and seven surgeries. It’s not enough that I’m nearly sixty and still enthusiastic about my job, my family, and life in general. No…I go to one of those doctors who expects perfection! Lol

I really do like my doctor. I even like his attitude most of the time. He is kind and considerate, yet blunt when he needs to be. I know he is genuinely concerned about my health. I’ve known him for sixteen years and I know his wife and his children. He also treats Gary and several other family members and friends. He’s very professional and has a good reputation.

Still, we go round and round about my faults. I guess that is a good thing since I no longer have a mother to lecture me! So I’ll go this morning and feel guilty about my weight and lack of exercise. Perhaps this time I will be motivated to do more about both!

One of the things I love to do from time to time is look at old photos. Today I'm going to share some with you just for fun. These are some of my favorites. I just want to say, too, that I'm thankful to my parents for taking photos during a time when it wasn't all that easy for them to do so. Yes, that fat baby is me. I weighed 11 lbs. 2 oz.

So, I’m enjoying my cereal yesterday and idly reading the label on my bottle of juice when I notice the “fine print” at the bottom of the label: “Cranberry-Pomegranate juice drink blended with another juice from concentrate” Huh? I checked the ingredient list and sure enough, the first ingredient after water and sugar, is grape juice from concentrate.

Okay, if we go back to the top of the label, it says “contains 15% fruit juice”. Now I’m no math genius, but 15% of 10 oz. is only 1.5 oz. So by labeling standards, grape juice is the primary ingredient in my “Cran-Pomegranate” juice drink which is for the most part water anyway, since that is the first ingredient. And since pomegranate juice is the fifth ingredient they must have added it with an eye dropper!

Also interesting that the label says “No High Fructose Corn Syrup, Artificial Colors or Flavors”. Ocean Spray has jumped on the sugar band wagon along with Snapple, Pepsi, Pinnacle Foods, Kraft, Starbucks and others in an effort to reassure customers who are afraid of the consequences of consuming high fructose corn syrup. While the demonization of corn syrup is viewed by some as a necessary step toward better health, there is still serious debate about whether any sugar is really better for us. And aside from the argument about what kind of sugar it is, my ten ounces of “juice” contains 38g of sugar. That’s more than my favorite soda.

Not to worry- my morning drink contains 100% of my daily requirement of vitamin C! Of course that can’t be from the splash of juice it contains, so the last ingredient on the list is Ascorbic Acid (Vitamin C). BTW, if what I read on the internet is correct, 80% of the world’s ascorbic acid is made in China.

I like the taste of Cranberry juice and anything it is blended with or added to, including club soda. So…I will probably keep drinking Cran-Pomegranate juice even though I know now that it is really Grape-Cran-Pomegranate juice. I don’t have any bad feelings about Ocean Spray or their products. But I think I will read a few other labels when I go to the grocery store. Perhaps I can find a juice that has just a few more cranberries or less sugar. That’s a step toward better health, isn’t it?

Once again I haven’t solved any world problems this morning, but perhaps I made you think a little and now you are going to go read the label on your favorite morning drink and see how it compares to mine. Have a great day!